Measuring device for tooth paste tubes



I Feb. 17,1953 J. v. KIERULFF 2,628,742

MEASURING DEVICE FOR TOOTH PASTE TUBES Filed Feb. 1, 1949 INVENTQR JORGE/V 1/ KIERULFF BY a 5 i l 9 I 7 ATI RNEYS Patented F eb. 17, 1953 MEASURING DEVIGE- FOR TOOTH PASTE TUBES h Jorgen Vibe Kierul fl, Los Angeles Calif.

Application- February -1, 1949; Serial N0.- 73,920 In SwedenEebruary4,1948

Claims,, (01. 2 22. 2s) i My invention relates to means for accurately measuri specificquant tics of asqu ezab ei viscous', paste likesmaterial.;

ityislan objectrof the inrenticnzt r e n:

improyed device of 1theschara l er:; nd cat d-.

It is, another, object to; provide measuring to a ,1.container; for haract r;indicated,i near. the. outlet ;:0D6I1.inga,0f- Saii1 ontainenr sa 1- means nermittingrthec. irect bservaticm 0f ti es quantity of .m terialssqueezed; ,1 1 P; re:;-

means, which, may ;be. appli ed squeezablei, material; oi,: the

quiring a,separateumeasurin ;operat n- Itzisrag; more .ispecificpbject .130: provide; an, im; proved; attachment for sque zabletu e r meas;

ur e hequantityof substancesdispensed;.therev from. 4,

It, isanothen specifiapbiect tomeetrthe above objectsrwitha idericeewh ch;.may serve s. a-;cap,-.

or; closure member as..:,well as ,.a;; measu w strument.

Other. bjects and-Nati ns thensfeatures f torithosenskil. followin spe ferred forms; or the, invention;

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section showingia :,squeegab le tube; to, ,which measuring means of the invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective -view oi,Va part of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig.---3 is-anenlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, of the device of Fig.'2--when mountedon the tubeof Fig. 1, and in a position ready for measuring a dispensed'quantity of material in the tube Fig. 4 is aiview of the arrangement of Fi'g'.:- 3- when material isbeingMdispenseddrom the-tube andshowinglthatvthe. pecifiedispensed quantity.

may be readily observed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 2.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates an improved means for measuring specific quantities of a viscous jelly-like or paste-like material that may be squeezed or extruded from a dispensing tube or the like. The measuring means may include a projecting ruler or scale to be positioned adjacent the dispensing opening so that the extruded material may be observed directly alongside the marking of the scale. In one form to be described, the ruler or scale is formed the material in the tube for; the; tube, and means are providedfor mqunting s closure mber ad ac n h di n n -firmin The attachment means may; include am; offset; i bracket to be threadedly engaged tothethreaded; noz e; of r he t e, b a: h ea eie d m e; ro on t e: ubeEiit L -5QF tormentin ruler cap when removed from: the no zzle A pro;- tective up aybe rem a ly-held 931 h? b- 59 c te to over h r9iei iinerule a s the-cup may b nscribed-withdepth markin to b sed wh -i d ired-iois ensei ent s of mawl a i w X9 sf he eebsery b e 9 31- the, ruler scale Referring to Figsr-i-to e-gof thedrawings,my invention is shown infappl' ion t aniattacm} ment ,for a squeezable tube,-,i i3 having; -a dispense ing end i i with an. externally threaded dispens-Y, ing nozzle; IZ lihttI'GQli-L In-thegcovered or,closed.C position of Fig. 1, aruler scale; member, l3vof the; invention closes off the dispensing nozzle l 2 The ruler is may be -formed integrally, with a; cap or closure portion l t, and, in the form showmi bracket means I 5 on; the cap Iii-includes ,an' ofiset threaded opening l 6 to be threadedtoltheQnozhli:- 12in order ,to hold the-,ruler scale l3in-a me as-; uring positions The ruler-scale l3 -may; beinscribed with weight or volun ennits ior the gparticular material ,to be: dispensed,

It will be; seen from; g. 4}. that,-,- w e -ah tube i U has -bean;uncovered and rwhen1th it l3 has been mounted in a measurin oSitioh-Qt quan it 1 1 r ed-ma er a i kmav elifadil observed directly alo gsideutheirulerscale, ,"Ih t smeierie i mar h be ua 'if n i nozzleJZ, a by brushing -with a;, stirringro am or e-l idi g aemesurmeawn be;need ed,.,

In the event that, the desired; diSIQGHSBdJQU-filflt? nt-0i uqedeme iislee .es i r f' fi the ruler scale I3, I provide a protect 1ve bup member I? that may also be used for measuring purposes. The cup I? may be of transparent or translucent molded plastic construction and is preferably frictionally engageable with the outer rim of the tube end H. The cup H may be inscribed with depth markings, which preferably begin (as shown in Fig. 1) at a point'above the bottom of the cup. In the use of my cup, water (or other fluid in which the extruded material is to be dissolved) is first poured into the cup l1 up to the level indicated by the zero mark, and It is then extruded into the cup H until the fluid level reaches the desired weight or volume indication. Again the inscriptions on the cup preferably are in weight or volume units particularly adapted to the material being dispensed.

In Fig. 5 I show a modified arrangement according to the invention, and in this modification my measuring device may be applied to any tube 20, regardless of tube size. In the arrangement of Fig. 5, adapter means 2| includes a through passage 22 with a threaded end 23 to engage the threaded nozzle of the tube 20; the other end of the passage 22 may be capped by a ruler closure member 24 generally similar to the device of Fig. 2. The outer periphery of the adapter means 2| may be suitably formed to engage and to retain a protective cover and measuring cup 25 similar to the cup I! of Fig. 1. Once the adapter means 2| has been applied to a particular tube 20, it may be kept in such position until the tube has been exhausted. The

adapter may then be removed and saved for use with another tube.

In Fig. 6, I show a further modification of the arrangement of Fig. l in which a ruler scale 26 is formed with a nozzle closure device 21 at one end thereof, and in which a stud 28 on the top 29 of a squeezable tube receives the closure portion 21 for mounting the same adjacent the dispensing opening 30 of the tube.

It will be seen that I have described relatively simple arrangements for accurately measuring specific quantities of dispensed extrudable material. These measuring devices may serve as closure members for the dispensing means, and they may incorporate means for self support when used as measuring means. In the use of a ruler cap such as that shown in Fig. 2, it will be appreciated that the bracket portion |5 thereof may be relatively thin, so that, when mounted as in Fig. 3, a sufficient portion of the nozzle l2 may project to receive a standard cap 3| (see Fig. 3), thereby obviating the need for mounting and dismounting the ruler with each use of the tube.

It will be appreciated that dispensing means as described above may be particularly useful to pharmacists and to home photographers doing their own developing work. For the latter type of market, developing or other chemicals may be prepared as concentrated jellies or pastes and packaged in squeezable tubes (such as the tubes I0 and impervious to light.

' Chemicals thus prepared and packaged may have an adequate shelf-life so as not to be subject to spoilage, for, as the chemicals are dispensed, the tube is collapsed and no air is entrained so as to make possible any oxidation of the remaining material in the tube. The material should, therefore, last well regardless of the amount of material that has been consumed from the tube.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cap for closing the opening of a squeezable tube, comprising cover means to close said opening, a longitudinally projecting graduated scale on said cover means, and an offset bracket for attachment to said tube.

2. A cap for attachment to the threaded outlet opening of a squeezable tube, comprising internally threaded cover means with a longitudinally projecting graduated scale formed integrally therewith and with ofiset bracket means including threaded means for attachment to the threaded opening of the tube, whereby when said bracket means is attached to said tubeand said tube is inverted, the quantity of material squeezed from said tube may be observed alongside said scale.

3. In combination, an adapter having a longitudinally extending through passage for attachment at one end to the nozzle of a dispensing device, cap means for covering the other end of said passage, a cup removably secured to said adapter, said cup being inscribed with depthscale markings, and a longitudinally projecting graduated scale on said cap means and including ofiset bracket means for attachment to said other end of said adapter, whereby the scale on said cap may be utilized to measure relatively small quantities of extruded material and whereby said cup may be utilized in the measurement of relatively large quantities of said material.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which said markings begin at zero at a point above the bottom of said cup, and in which said markings progress increasingly toward the open end of said cup.

5. In combination, a'squeezable tube including a dispensing nozzle at one end thereof, cover means for said nozzle, said cover means including a longitudinally projecting graduated scale, and means on said tube offset from and adjacent to said nozzle for supporting said cover means when said cover means has been removed from said nozzle.

JORGEN VIBE mERULFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,466,043 Graham Aug. 28, 1923 2,017,254 Mulford Oct. 15, 1935 2,372,278 Jess Mar. 2'7, 1945 

